


More Than Words

by scelestus



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Awkward Crush, Awkward Romance, Fluff, Humor, Love at First Sight, M/M, Muteness, Romance, love without spoken words, mingyu is clumsy but sweet, mingyu is soft, this is a sweet fic since meanie make me puke rainbows, wonwoo in glasses, wonwoo in oversized hoodies that swallow him up, wonwoo is guarded due to his muteness but he's sweet too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 18:05:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15891249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scelestus/pseuds/scelestus
Summary: Mingyu falls for the boy sleeping among the fluttering red autumn leaves and Wonwoo teaches him how to love without speaking the word outloud.or: Wonwoo is mute yet Mingyu thinks he's the most beautiful person in this world.





	More Than Words

**Author's Note:**

> i've always wanted to write a story where one of the characters is mute, because i think there is something beautiful about love (and showing love) without ever speaking the word outloud. hopefully i do this heavy subject justice and this fic won't fail (too much).
> 
> with that being said, it's a cute fic. not depressing or angsty or anything. because mingyu and wonwoo are cute. so this fic is also cute. yes.

 

It’s like something out of a movie.

Mingyu is running late to meet up with his friends since he had stayed after class to ask the professor some questions. By the time he steps out onto the courtyard, it’s already devoid of student life, silent aside from the rustlings of the wind and crimson leaves scattering about, vivid mid-autumn.

And Mingyu, because he has the worst body coordination ever, trips on something while rushing past and falls flat on his face. Looking down, he sees a black backpack and groans. He _would_ trip on a backpack situated near a tree and not in the way of the walking path at all. Of course.

Sitting up, an apology ready on his lips, Mingyu lifts his eyes to find the owner of the backpack… sleeping.

The other is leaning against a tree, a cheek squished to the bark, his glasses askew on his nose like it’s about to fall off. A few bright red leaves are stuck to his hair and there is a book opened on his lap, fingers still lingering on top of the pages like he had been in the middle of reading and accidentally dozed off.

It’s honestly… really cute? If Seungkwan was here, he’d call this “developing uwu feels”―whatever that means―because Mingyu is nowhere near as pro at the intricacies of Internet Chatspeak as the younger boy.

Anyway, so Mingyu is left… sitting here, just staring at this stranger before him with a rising feel of― _something_ , in his chest. It feels a lot like when his friends were being total monsters and had dared him to skydive off a mountain during the school trip of their last year in high school.

It feels a lot like free-falling, like Mingyu can’t quite gulp in enough air as he watches how the glasses perched on the boy’s nose keeps sliding down and down, and he almost wants to reach out to push it up, but… that’d be creepy, wouldn’t it?

Taking out his phone to snap a picture of this serene scene before him would be creepy too, right…?

As if calling out his thoughts, his phone rings at that moment, making Mingyu jerk and scramble to fish it from his jeans pocket.

“Dude, where are you?” Minghao’s voice blasts through the speaker. “We’ve been hungry since like, _yesterday_!”

“S―Sorry, be right there!” Mingyu stumbles, hastily getting up. He gives one last look at the sleeping boy by the tree, who is still miraculously asleep despite all of Mingyu’s ruckus, and hesitantly walks away.

 

 

 

 

“So like,” Mingyu conversationally says as they’re all munching on stale fries at the local McDonalds. “I tripped and fell while on the way to you guys.”

“Nothing new there,” Dokyeom drones, taking a huge bite out of his hamburger.

“Right? Falling isn’t anything new for me. Except this time, I think, like. Umn. That I also. Sorta. I think I also fell in lo― _like_. With someone. At first sight. Yeah.”

Mingyu says the last half in a rush, the words all jumbled together, so it’s no surprise his friends take awhile to process what the heck he had just said at all.

Once they have, though…

“What the fuck, Kim Mingyu?” Minghao slams his one fry down the tray. It shouldn’t make any noise considering how… small one individual fry is, but it does, and Mingyu flinches. “I’ve been trying to get you to go to our group dates for ages so I can finally hook your lonely self up with someone, but you go ahead and find somebody?? On your own??”

Mingyu makes a face. “Group dates are so… unromantic. I want to find someone on my own, you know. Being fated to meet them. Not attend a karaoke session while flitting my eyes about trying to find who’s the hottest in the other group to hook up with.”

“Yes, because being so romantic has gotten you so far, and is the reason why you’re still single despite looking like _this_ ,” Minghao says dryly, giving him a flat stare.

“Won’t be single for much longer, right?” Dokyeom cuts in, bless his ever pacifying heart. “So you fell in… _like_ , with someone? Who is it? What’s their name? Do we know them?”

“Maybe? I don’t know. No, I don’t think so?”

“…What?”

“I don’t…” Mingyu starts to squirm as Minghao stares him down with crossed arms. “I don’t know who it is? I don’t know the name? I literally just fell on his backpack and like. Thought he was cute? Yeah…”

“Did you at least ask for his name?”

“No… But through no fault of my own! He was asleep!”

“So you’re telling me,” Minghao begins to speak slowly, and how does he look so imposing with that wiry body? Mingyu will never know. “That you tripped on someone’s backpack and started crushing on that someone while he was sleeping. Like a creeper.”

“Not a creeper!” Mingyu protests. “I resisted the urge to take a picture!”

“While that would be the creeper move of all creeper moves, it would at least be helpful so we can look at it and help you identify your mysterious crush.”

Mingyu slumps. “You’re right, aren’t you? I should’ve let my creeper urges ran free and took a picture… He just looked so cute there, sleeping. His cheek was squished against the tree! And those glasses! And I just―” Mingyu clutches his chest and proceeds to wiggle like a worm in his seat while his two friends pretend to gag. Or maybe they’re legit gagging since they’ve been eating after all.

“You are hopeless, Kim Mingyu,” Minghao proclaims while Dokyeom points a finger and cries, “Your good looks are wasted on you!!”

 

 

 

 

So it’s been a week and Mingyu sadly has not seen Backpack Boy (as his friends have dubbed him) since. He’s tried to hover around the courtyard around the time he first met the boy, but no luck. The other seems to vanish like thin air, leaving Mingyu to sigh forlornly every few minutes.

(That’s an exaggeration, by the way. But Seungkwan is dramatic and kind of pissy he missed Mingyu’s “proclamation of like” that time so he’s being annoying about it.)

So here is Mingyu, trying to refrain from sighing for the thousandth time as he greets his next customer. Working part-time at a coffee shop normally isn’t bad since Mingyu is a people person, but he’s just not feeling it today.

At least, until his current customer got her receipt, moving away, and the next one comes into view.

And it’s―

“Backpack Boy!” Mingyu squeaks before slapping his mouth shut with his palm. Vernon spares him a glance as he’s making the drinks but thankfully Backpack Boy doesn’t seem to notice, looking up from his phone and settling his gaze onto Mingyu’s.

And god, if Mingyu had thought the other was cute before with eyes closed…

Eyes opened Backpack Boy is _infinitely_ cuter, his sharp yet sleepy eyes hidden behind the gigantic circle glasses he’s wearing, and Mingyu would squeal and wiggle like a worm again if he wouldn’t get arrested for acting like a lunatic on the job.

“Hello!!” Mingyu tries to instill as much brightness and _feelings_ into his voice as possible. “Good morning! What a fine day it is, huh? What can I get for you?”

Backpack Boy only blinks at him, startled by the enthusiasm before looking down onto the counter where there’s a menu taped onto the surface and points at something.

“I see, you want to try our seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte, huh? Good choice, good choice! A size regular okay?”

A nod.

“Anything special? Extra whip? Extra caramel? Extra topping?”

A shake of the head.

Okaaaaay… Maybe Backpack Boy is a quiet boy, which doesn’t surprise Mingyu given how he had found the other boy sleeping while reading a book before. Maybe he’s the introvert type. It’s fine. Mingyu is extrovert enough for the both of them anyway.

And here―here is the important part:

“Can I,” Mingyu tries to not freak out as he continues, “Can I get your name? For the drink, of course! Not for any creepy reasons. Ha ha!”

 _Way to go, Kim Mingyu_ , he berates himself internally. _Way to totally make yourself sound like a creep just now._

Thankfully, again, Backpack Boy doesn’t seem to notice. He only pauses, biting on his lip (and oh, it’s so _cute_ , Mingyu wants to squeal so badly), then looks down at the phone in his hand.

“Umn…?” Mingyu prods.

The other holds out a palm as if telling him to wait and starts typing something until a voice calls out, “Isn’t Jeonghan working today?”

There’s another boy coming from behind Backpack Boy, and Mingyu thinks the guy looks a bit familiar but can’t recall from where. It’s only when the newcomer looks expectantly at him that Mingyu realizes the question was directed at him.

“Oh, he’s running late for a project so he asked me to take over his shift,” Mingyu answers. Which is a good thing, because otherwise he wouldn’t have met the like of his life this morning!

The new guy frowns, then, to Mingyu’s flabbergasted face, covers Backpack Boy’s hand with his own, stopping him from typing.

“His name is Wonwoo,” the other says, giving Mingyu a look like he can see through Mingyu’s thoughts and the way his eyes are lingering on how the new guy is holding onto Backpack Boy’s―Wonwoo’s―hand gently. “Come on, let’s go, Wonwoo. You’re going to be late for class.”

Wonwoo gives Mingyu a small nod before following the other boy towards the pick-up counter. Mingyu’s heart is roaring in his ears.

“Yo, Mingyu, you okay?” Mingyu blinks to a hand waving in front of his face and sees Vernon arching an eyebrow at him. “You’re holding the line, man.”

Mingyu jerks, notices how the next customer is impatiently waiting, and sputters out an apology to her. He hastily writes the name on the cup―Wonwoo, _Wonwoo_ ―before giving it to Vernon and takes the next order.

And if Wonwoo and his―friend? boyfriend? whatever―leave as soon as the drink is made, then the ache in Mingyu’s chest is due to waking up early today to go to work. That’s all. Mingyu is just tired.

That has to be it.

 

 

 

 

“So I got Backpack Boy’s name,” Mingyu mutters while the four of them are squished on the couch in Minghao's apartment, watching some cheesy drama Seungkwan is forcing them to since he’s holding the remote control hostage.

“What!!” all three of his friends exclaimed.

“Yeah. Met him at my workplace this morning. He was… ordering the Pumpkin Spice Latte…” His lips start trembling. “I mean, how cute is that? Ordering a Halloween drink! And he was wearing this soft-looking orange sweater! And those huge glasses eating his face! And his fluffy black hair! And―And―”

“And…?” Seungkwan prompts.

“And… I think he has a boyfriend? I don’t know. Looked like it.”

“Oh it _would_ just be your luck that your first crush in forever would be taken,” Minghao rolls his eyes, making Seungkwan slap his arm.

“Don’t make him more sad, look at his lips, Mingyu’s about to cry!” the youngest between them chides, turning to Mingyu. “Did you ask him? Did they say they’re dating?”

“No…? But they look it! You didn’t see it, the other guy was like, _super_ protective over him! He was glaring at me like he could see through all my thoughts about him!”

Minghao raises an eyebrow. “Were they, as Joshua would put it, unholy thoughts?”

“No! Of course not! I’m not you, Minghao!” Mingyu gasps, offended, to which the other gasps back, equally offended. “Just. I thought of how cute he is, and how his hand when he was holding his phone was like, small? It’s _small_. It’d fit perfectly into my hand. I want to hold his hand. Oh, fuck my life.”

Dokyeom pats him on the back as Mingyu proceeds to groan, face buried into his hands. “But they didn’t say it, so you can’t be sure! Now that you know his name, just, y’know. Befriend him. Find out if he’s single or not. Go for it!”

“Yeah, what happened to ‘Mr. Social I-am-friends-with-everyone-and-anything, even to the random stray dogs and cats on the street?” Seungkwan supplies.

“And a squirrel one time,” Mingyu adds, peeking an eye out from between two of his fingers.

“And a squirrel one time,” Minghao repeats with another eyeroll. “Anyway, so what’s Mysterious Boy’s name?”

“The one that managed to capture our Mingyu’s heart! Man, it’s like watching my child grow up.” Seungkwan dabs a finger delicately at his eye, wiping away nonexistent tears.

“Shut up, Seungkwan, I’m older than you!” Mingyu grunts. “His name… is Wonwoo. Isn’t that a beautiful name? Wonwoo. Wonwoo Wonwoo Wonwoo…”

His friends start to shake their heads at the increasingly dreamy glaze in Mingyu’s eyes as he repeats the name like a mantra.

“Wait, Wonwoo? Huh, I think that name sounds familiar, but where have I heard it from…” Minghao rubs at his chin, pondering. “Mingyu? Hey, Mingyu. Urg, never mind. He’s off to La-La Land now.”

 

 

 

 

Sometimes his friends do give good advices. Like, once in a blue moon. Or every two blue moons, more like.

The point is, they were right. Mingyu has an active and outgoing personality. He’s always been direct, honest, hates to lie (probably bad at lying too; he never gets anything past those sly friends of his), so this forlorn, does-he-or-does-he-not have a boyfriend brooding where he had plucked a flower petal by petal he found randomly while doing his homework out in the courtyard with his friends just does not suit him at all.

(Minghao had whacked him upside the head for it when he noticed Mingyu wasn’t doing his homework but instead staring sadly at the fallen petals by his feet, which hurt for a boy whose body is the personification of a stick, but Mingyu guesses he had deserved that. A tiny bit.)

Which is why… when Mingyu heads to the library, intending to simply check out a book for his class and not like, actually study or anything, and finds Wonwoo at a table by the corner, he inhales sharply and tries to steady out his breathings.

Because his friends were right: Mingyu should just befriend him and find out if Wonwoo is single or not. And even if he isn’t―even if he’s dating that one guy who had been shorter than Mingyu but pretty damn handsome and, more importantly, protective over him which meant he cared for Wonwoo―then that’s okay too. Mingyu’s heart will be hurt, but he’ll still like to be friends with Wonwoo. Because he likes making new friends in general and Wonwoo looks too precious to not get to know a bit better.

So he braces his rapidly beating heart and heads over.

The chair squeaks so loudly in the quietness of the library. Mingyu silently praises himself for bringing his books along to the library since it’d be pretty awkward to pretend you have subjects to study for when you have no said books to study.

“H―Hi, can I sit here?” Mingyu half-squeaks out when Wonwoo looks up at the noise. Thank god the library is pretty crowded so it actually makes sense for Mingyu to ask to share tables.

Wonwoo nods, looking a little confused but not annoyed, which is―good.

His hair is even messier than the other times Mingyu’s seen him, and he’s wearing this oversized hoodie that seems to _swallow_ him up, but his eyes are clear and bright behind those glasses, and he’s just so cute, _so cute―_

Oh man. Mingyu is so screwed. Here comes the word vomit thing he always does whenever he has too many feelings to keep bottled up inside.

“I’m sorry if you’re confused on why I just intruded on your space, but like. I need to study? Economics? Microeconomics, which is vastly different than Macroeconomics, by the way. And I just found that out once I actually took the class. Anyway, so yeah, I need to study but there are no free tables? I think? And I thought it’d be okay to ask if I can sit here since we kinda know each other. I mean, not really!! But I took your order at the cafe a block away from the school, do you remember? It was Pumpkin Spice Latte, I remember. Did you like it? Vernon sometimes gets careless and pours more syrup than he should. I hope it was still good though. Or I can make it next time! If you come over again. Not that I’m waiting or anything! I’m not a creeper… No, no, I’m not. Ha ha!”

Wonwoo’s eyes get wider and wider behind those huge glass circles the more Mingyu speaks, which makes the latter more nervous which makes him speak more, and god, someone stop him now, please―

“Ahem!” Mingyu almost jumps when he realizes the librarian is glaring at him from the counter. “The library is a quiet place to study. If you want to talk, please go outside.”

“S―Sorry!” Mingyu squeaks, slumping. Then, in a softer voice, says, “I’m sorry I’m so weird,” to Wonwoo sadly.

He’s screwed this up. Of course he did.

But when he turns back to Wonwoo, he is astonished to see the other boy’s lips quirking up a little, trembling, like he’s trying not to laugh. Shaking his head, he carefully rips out a piece of paper from his notebook and starts writing.

Mingyu is just staring at Wonwoo while he writes, because―Wow. The other has such pretty hands, all long and delicate fingers, nails trimmed neatly. So unlike Mingyu’s own stocky ones, nails a zigzag since he tends to bite on them.

After a few moments, Wonwoo slides the paper over to Mingyu, and Mingyu’s eyes are shining as he reads the handwritten words.

 

_It’s okay. I don’t think you’re weird. I mean, you’re a bit… unique. But I don’t think you mean any harm. And yes, I do remember you from the cafe. Jeonghan usually takes my order, so I was a little lost when I learned there was someone new there. Or maybe you’re not new? You said you took over Jeonghan’s shift, so maybe you never happen to work when I stop by._

_Anyway, yes, you can sit here. It’s fine. You should be quiet, though. The librarian is known to hold a grudge, so don’t get on her bad side._

_Lastly, since you remember me from the cafe, I guess you remember my name too. But in case you don’t: My name is Wonwoo. Jeon Wonwoo. It’s nice to meet you. I recall your nametag said “Mingyu”?_

 

Mingyu’s heart is pounding so loudly in his chest he can hear it reverberating from the insides of his ears. Wonwoo remembers him. He even noticed what Mingyu’s name is! And he’s so nice, so eloquent. He writes with perfect grammar and complete sentences on a torn piece of paper to a stranger who had disrupted him from his studies and it’s honestly so―

Adorable? Endearing? Mingyu is falling more and more in… like as he gets to know Wonwoo better.

Hastily, he takes out a pen to respond.

 

_hi yes i’m kim mingyu it’s nice to meet you!! i usually work evening shifts and i guess you only come in during the mornings?? no wonder i never see you before!! i’ll keep the thing about the librarian in mind, thank you!! i need to borrow a book soon so i hope she won’t hold a grudge and make some excuses how somebody else ‘accidentally’ borrowed it already, hmn… do you think that’ll happen? i kinda need that book :(_

 

Mingyu is trying. It’s so hard to not make all his ‘you’s into ‘u’s and use chatspeak, but… Wonwoo seems like the prim and proper type??

Mingyu notices, as he’s handing the paper back to Wonwoo, that Mingyu had written his reply so fast the letters were floating up and down the blue lines, like a kindergartener trying to practice writing for the first time. Meanwhile, Wonwoo takes his time, hand moving over the paper slowly as he spells out each word neat and carefully.

They’re such opposites, but Mingyu honestly feels kind of happy about it. Excited, that there can be someone so different from him and yet… Mingyu still wants to know more about this person, so much.

He almost misses Wonwoo handing the paper back while he was internally gushing.

 

_Hmn… I don’t think so? It was your first time catching her eyes (I hope?), so maybe she’ll give you one free pass as long as you don’t repeat your mistake. If you do need to borrow something, though, you should do it now. The library is going to close soon, and I know for a fact the system shuts down half an hour before the building actually closes._

 

Surprised, Mingyu blurts out, “Really?” to which Wonwoo nods, so Mingyu hurriedly goes to the counter since he needs that book tonight to prepare for tomorrow’s class.

True to Wonwoo’s prediction, the librarian does give him the stink-eye but still checks out the book for him. She does rant about how he should remember to turn it in by the due date, this book is popular and has many people coveting for it, okay, and oh, do take care not to be so loud next time, the library is a sacred place to study, etc. etc.

But Mingyu has the book now, and he happily skips back to the table only to find Wonwoo packing his things up.

“Oh, you’re―” Mingyu winces, realizing just in time to lower his voice. He takes a seat next to Wonwoo and whispers, “Are you leaving already?”

Wonwoo nods. He points to the board nearby stating the hours of when the library opens and closes, and―yeah. There are only 45 minutes left until it closes.

“Oh, do…” Here, Mingyu has to close his eyes and take a huge breath before opening them, trying to look directly into Wonwoo’s eyes as he says, “Do you mind if we become friends? It’s just… You’re really nice and chill and great and I’d love to get to know you more. And it seems you know Jeonghan? Like I want to know my friends’ friends, too. And maybe we can study together? Properly, next time? I know I kinda distracted you this time. Sorry about that. Umn.”

Mingyu slowly stops his ramblings as he notices the somber look on Wonwoo’s face. The latter looks contemplative, staring at Mingyu like he’s searching for something. A few quiet moments pass between them before Wonwoo slides out a new piece of paper from his folder and starts writing.

 

_I guess you still haven’t noticed, but Mingyu, I’m mute._

 

“W―What?” Since Mingyu is now sitting next to him instead of across from him, he can clearly read every word as Wonwoo is writing them.

 

_It means I’m unable to speak. I didn’t write to you just because we were supposed to be quiet in the library. It’s because I cannot speak the words physically. I normally use Sign Language but I’m guessing you won’t understand them, so…_

 

“W―You’re―” Mingyu chokes out. His mind is running a mile a minute.

Wonwoo is mute? He _cannot speak_? Mingyu had thought the other boy was just quiet, but it turns out he physically has to be quiet.

Wonwoo gazes at the shocked look on Mingyu’s face, and his eyes… they start to dim a little. Mingyu is unable to say anything more as Wonwoo continues writing.

 

_While I appreciate your offer on being friends, I think it will be quite hard being friends with a mute._

 

“N―No! I’m not―” Mingyu’s voice breaks a little, and he winces when he can feel the reproaching glare of the librarian behind his back. “I don’t think that―That’s not what I meant, _at all―_ ” he starts to whisper, but Wonwoo just lets out a soundless sigh and starts writing again.

 

_Regardless, I will be here at the library to study again tomorrow, and for the rest of the week since I have an exam coming up. It’s always around this time. If you’d like to study together, you’re welcomed to meet me here. If not, that’s fine, too._

_I have to go now. Thank you for being so friendly and wanting to get to know me more. That was sweet of you._

_Goodbye, Mingyu._

 

Wonwoo pushes the paper towards Mingyu as soon as he’s done writing and stands up. Before Mingyu can utter a word out, Wonwoo flashes him a small smile (and oh, it’s small and shy but such a sweet smile, _Wonwoo_ is the sweet one, why is he saying that to Mingyu instead?) before he grabs his backpack (that same black backpack Mingyu had tripped over), clutches his folder to his chest, and walks away.

Leaving Mingyu sitting at the now empty table, clutching onto a piece of paper with such neat, cursive handwriting still freshly inked into the page, feeling like those words had inked into his heart instead.

Because Wonwoo―

Wonwoo is the cutest and softest and sweetest and most beautiful person Mingyu’s ever met, and he leaves Mingyu with a small but sincere smile that Mingyu can still see the afterimages of burning in the back of his eyelids, long after the other is gone.

And Mingyu―Mingyu will be at the library tomorrow at the same time, again.

He’s going to prove to Wonwoo that he earnestly wants to befriend Wonwoo because he simply wants to get to know Wonwoo, and not on the merits of whether Wonwoo can speak to him back.

There are more precious things in this world than simply spoken words, Mingyu’s sure of it.

 

**Author's Note:**

> there should be less than 10 chapters total? hopefully not too long.
> 
> if you can, i've love to hear your thoughts on what you think of this story so far! are the characters okay? is mingyu hopeless? (yes, he is. hopelessly in... like with wonwoo. ha!) also, wonwoo wearing glasses is the most adorable thing ever and no one can tell me otherwise.


End file.
